As an employer, you want the best for your company. You aim your goals towards success, and you do everything in your power to stay on course. Often, you will find yourself in conflict with some employees, but if you can solve those problems without them escalating, you will be just fine.
However, the worst thing that can happen to you and your business is to get sued by your employee. They live in the times where anyone can sue anyone for whatever reason, and get away with it. The only thing that you can do is try and mitigate some of the risks by putting your company in the best position possible.
If you have no clue how to mitigate the risks, here are some tips that will help put you in a strong position, one that will help you deal with any lawsuits that you may face in the future
Have Clear Policies
As an employer, it is your job to clearly define the company’s policies. They have to be clear and explain in detail so that there is no confusion. Once you have your company’s policies clearly defined, be sure that every employee receives a copy of the handbook. Within your policies should be:
- Your expectations from the company
- Your expectations from the employees
- Code of conduct
- Punishments and disciplinary actions
Most lawsuits against employers arise from complex company policies. If they are in any way ambiguous or unclear, the employee may misunderstand them and still have an advantage over you in court. Remember to accurately define the company’s policies and protect yourself from any potential lawsuits from your employees.
Note: about 80 percent of all lawsuits come from within the company. Be prepared and protect your business ahead of time.
Know Your Obligations
It goes without saying that as an employer, you are aware of all the employment laws. If you and your managers are well informed about the current laws and all the recent changes, you will understand exactly what is required of you as an employer and will be able to fulfill your legal obligations. Failure to meet your legal expectations could result in a lawsuit from one of your employees. Instead of giving them the opportunity to sue you, do what is required of you and always stay “up-to-date” with current employment laws and changes.
If you have any information or would like to seek legal advice, feel free to consult with Employment Law Attorneys in Los Angeles. Attorneys will gladly advise you on the best course of action, or bring you up to speed on the current employment laws and regulations.
Progressive Discipline
Every state in the U.S. has cases of wrongful termination. They are just everywhere and have become so common that employers face with at least one such lawsuit every year. They are very common for companies with over 25 employees. Your job as an employer is to establish and document a system of progressive discipline, one that will be clear to all your employees. Use the system whenever possible, and protect yourself from wrongful termination lawsuits. In case you are faced with a wrongful termination lawsuit, speak with Employment Law Attorneys in Los Angelesand seek their opinion, guidance, and legal representation.
*(there will always be cases where termination is warranted without progressive discipline).*
Treat Your Employees Equally and With Respect
Studies have shown that happy employees are almost three times more productive than unhappy employees. If you are able to keep your employees happy and satisfy their basic needs (pay their wages and benefits regularly, provide them with extra work when possible, provide them with healthy and safe working conditions, protect them from discrimination, abuse, and harassment), you will drastically mitigate all risks of a lawsuit.
Anti-Discriminatory Training
If you want to keep your workplace safe and without discrimination or harassment, you have to provide your employees with training that will help them understand the importance of equal treatment and to help them understand what constitutes harassment and discrimination. Be sure to specify that your company does not support and will not tolerate any such instances and that those who discriminate against others will be strictly punished or terminated.
Consult with Los Angeles Employment Law Attorneys if you are facing a discrimination lawsuit or any other lawsuit from one of your employees. Attorneys can help protect you from the lawsuit and in the process, protect your reputation.
Keep Records Of Everything
The best way to mitigate the risks of employee lawsuits is by documenting every single event. If you spot any difference in an employee’s behavior, document everything about that employee, including:
- Interactions
- Communications
- Correspondence
Include the dates and time, actions that were taken, words that were said. If you ever take disciplinary action against an employee, having everything documented will help protect you from potential lawsuits.
Employee Evaluations
If you are able to, conduct face-to-face evaluations of your employees on a regular basis. That way, you will be able to voice your potential concerns and will allow your employees to do the same. By doing so, you will greatly mitigate the risk of a potential lawsuit, and even if one arises, you will place yourself in a good position to counter it.
Keep in mind that all employees are more likely to communicate with you about potential concerns and problems face-to-face, rather than via email or text messages. This is your chance to put out all potential embers before they become fires.
Are you looking for additional ways of keeping your company to comply with the employment laws and regulations? Then call offices today and consult with seasoned Los Angeles Employment Law Attorneys. It is impossible to completely eliminate the risk of getting sued, but at least you can lower it to a minimum, and place yourself in a good position from which you can counter all lawsuits and protect your company from a potential disaster.
